Overhead door structure



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OVERHEAD DOOR STRUCTURE Filed July 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l gnmonkw/ Aug. 29, 1939. e. v. SMITH OVERHEAD DOOR STRUCTURE Filed July 12, 1938 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Aug. 29, 1 939 t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OVERHEAD DOOR. STRUCTURE Guy V. Smith, Marion, Ind. Application July 12, 1938, Serial No. 218,856 1 Claim. (o1. 16104) This invention relates to improvements in sectracks, and when the door is closed they wedge tional door structures and means for facilitating or are pressed against the jambs, and retract the opening thereof, particularly the heavy types therefrom when the door is opened, in conseof doors used in garages, warehouses, gasoline quence of the inclination of the vertical sec- 5 service stations, etc., where the door is raised to tions of the tracks, and the construction of the s an overhead position. carriers.

The primary object of the present invention Each carrier comprises a plate l3, running is to provide a sectional door adapted, when edgewise and endwise beside the track, on wheels shifted, to move to a substantially horizontal or rollers [9 which run in the tracks and are 10 overhead position, wherein new and novel means mounted on pins projecting at opposite ends up of counterbalancing and new means for weather and at one side of the plate i3. At or about the tightness is provided. middle thereof the plate i3 is provided at the The invention will be best understood from at opposite side with a hinge pin 2! which forms consideration of the following detailed descripthe pintle of the hinge 22. To accommodate the 35 tion taken in connection with the accompanyinclination of the track, the distances of the 16 ing drawings forming a part of this specification, hinge pintles 2i from the line of travel or edges with the understanding, however, that the inof the plates I3 is varied (at each edge of the vention is not confined to any strict conformity door) to agree with the variation of the space with the showing of the drawings, but may be between the track and the door jambs. This is changed or modified so long as such changes illustrated in Fig. 8. Obviously, in order to cause 20 or modifications mark no material departure the door sections to close tight y nst the from the salient features of the invention as exla s, t e carriers of the upper sections of the pressed in the appended claim. door will have their pintles 2i oiT-set a greater In th drawings, distance than those of the lower sections Where Fig. 1 is a rear or inside perspective i of the tracks are inclined more closely toward the 25 the door in closed position. j b

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation at one The Same result could be accomplished y d of th d i l d iti cranking the pintles Zia. as shown in Fig. 8, the

Figs 3, 4 and 5 are d t il in elevation and throw or distance Zlb of the cranks being de- 0 ecti n f the t ack and the ca rie whi h u creased or increased according to the varied disth i tances between the door jambs and the inclined Fig, 6 i re perspective of th do i tracks. Various other ways to obtain the same open osition, result are possible. Thus instead of varying the Fig. '7 is a detail of a modifi tio oiT-set of the pintles 21, the pins 20 and roller Fig, 3 is a, perspective of a, set of carriers, it] could be elf-set more 01 less in the respective 35 Referring specifically to the drawings, A incarriers. dicates the doorv jambs and B is the ceiling or It is evident that as the door is closed down other support for the upper part of the tracks the incline of the track the various off-sets of l which are fixed at opposite sides of the doorthe carriers will cause at the sections of the 40 way to the bottom of the jambs by, brackets in door to be forced into close contact with the 40 and may be supported at the top in any suitable jambs, thereby making a close and weather tight manner, as by a frame Illa below the ceiling. joint; and as the door is raised the sections will As shown in Fig. 5 each track is flanged to redraw away from the jambs, thereby permitting tain the carriers which travel therein, as hereeasy operation. inafter described. It will be noticed that the For counterbalancing the door I provide a tracks' include horizontal and vertical sections spring and cable device at each side of the doorconnected by curved portions, and the vertical way. Each cable 9 is connected at its lower end sections incline toward the door jambs at the to the bottom door section and extends thence bottom, to give a wedging action to the door over a guide pulley l0, whose shaft 50 is sup- 50 when closed. ported by a frame Illa above the doorway, and The door is indicated at l1, and consists of thence downwardly to connection with a grooved a plurality of horizontal sections hinged together and tapered sheave or drum 8 which runs free,

by end hinges 22 and (if desired) by middle for both rotary and axial movement, on a fixed hinges 2211.. These sections run between the shaft or rod 6 which is secured at one end to a 5 bracket lfib attached to the horizontal part of the track i and is secured at the other end to a fixture lflc projecting from the jamb. The rods 6 incline upwardly from the jambs to the tracks and thus also brace the upper part of the tracks A spring I l is coiled around each rod 6 and is fixed at one end to a collar I? held to the rod by a set screw. The opposite end of the spring is fixed to the drum 8, which as stated, is free to rotate and also slide on the rod 6.

As-the door is lowered the drum 8 will be rotated by the cable and put the spring under tension which then assists in raising the door, and the axial movement of the drum accommodates the contraction or expansion of the coiled spring and permits proper alinement of the cable as it winds or unwinds.

It will be seen that all the counterbalancing devices are located below or behind the track. This permits installation of the tracks nearer the lambs and ceiling and is an advantage in close quarters. Also by the use or two cables etc. and two pulleys It the cables operate jointly and prevent any sidewise strain or binding of the carriers in the tracks. Likewise strain is prevented by having the pulleys it securely fastened to the shaft 50 thus requiring the pulleys to travel together. Raising or lowering the door from either end will not tend to cause jamming but the door will remain in level position at all times. Various other advantages will be evident to those familiar with the art.

I claim:

A combined hinge bracket and roller carrier for sectional sliding doors, comprising a plate movable endwise with the door and having axle pins at one side and at opposite ends, rollers mounted on the axle pins, and a hinge pintle pin projecting between the ends of the plate from the side thereof opposite the rollers.

GUY V. SMITH. 

